Investigating Sin
by Teh Grammer queen
Summary: Ed and Al Elric get pulled away from their mission to chase Scar and put into the investigation of the possible rebelion of a country town, not to mention in the company of an upbeat girl from the investigations department. Branches off from aprox ep 25,
1. Chapter 1 So they meet

GRAMMERS NOTE: no speel check :P

Teh Queen: Oh boredom strike again, and here is the result, another FMA fic. Random randm random.

Teh Slave: Don't forget bad.

Teh Queen: oh yes, that too, but please at least tell me what you think, the idea of the plot doesn't come in till a bit later

"So we're telling them we're going to see teacher, and we don't want to do anything dangerous anymore and we're going to try and find another way?"

"Yep."

"Do you think they'll buy it?"

"We have to try."

Ed pulled his boots on as his brother questioned his plans from the other side of the hospital room.

"Depends if we get given another mission or orders or something like that." Al poined out to Ed who was set on going to Ishbal instead to Dublin like they were gong to tell Mustang. There was a knock at the door.

"Show time." Ed muttered putting on a sickeningly innocent face as he called to the Colonel to come in.

"Good to see you are both well again, now, I have a mission for you." Mustang said, not looking up from the clipboard he was holding. Al decided this was a good thing as he could see Ed's eye twitching in annoyance.

"Is that so colonel, what if I say we had plans?" Ed replied trying to get himself out of the situation.

"Then I would say whatever it is can be put on hold unless it is related to the rebels in a small town called Thine." Mustang handed the clipboard to Ed who narrowed his eyes at it in hatred. "You have to inspect the base there, and be sure there is no corruption in the military stationed there. The reason I'm sending you is because you're their superior and most of the other people I could have sent are wrapped up in the case of lab 5, and besides, you worked wonders in that town Youswell didn't you?" Mustang smiled snidely as he left the room, leaving an agitated Ed.

"Who does he think he-" Ed started before the colonel poked his head back into the room.

"Almost forgot, there will be a young lady by the name of Effie Heyman from investigations going with you to investigate the rumors of an uprising in Thine and accompanying towns, so don't you boys cause too much trouble." Mustang left once again, and this time Ed waited a few seconds before going on his silent rampage.

"I say we don't do it, we just go to Ishbal anyway." Ed plotted walking back and fourth across the room.

"I say we just get it over and done with, we don't want to get into trouble when we want our going to Ishbal to be quiet." AL was always more rational than his brother, Ed knew this, but didn't like to admit it much. Giving up, Ed raised his hand in surrender.

"Fine, that Heyman woman is probably waiting for us." He pouted walking briskly from the room. Al sighed and followed. After much cursing and pouting about how unreasonable the colonel is, Ed found himself at the station, and Al, who had just been silent for there had been no point in trying to reason started looking around for this Effie Heyman.

"She probably got caught up on her way here." Al suggested.

"The nerve of the woman! Taking up the mission and then showing up late, at this rate we'll miss the train." Ed took a seat at a nearby bench looking down the tracks for the train.

"Oh settle down, and calling me 'woman' makes me sound old." A voice came from under Ed's nose.

Ed looked down to see a girl in her later teens, possibly early twenties looking up at her from the ground. "I've been here for quite a while now." She wasn't looking at them, but rather occupied with the pen she was balancing on her nose. It was almost strange to see someone older than themselves in a military uniform sitting on the ground balancing a pen on their nose.

"You must be Miss Heyman then, hello, my name is Alphonse Elric." Al said politely, nodding in greeting.

Effie put the pen back in her pocket and raised to her feet.

"Pleasure to meet you, and who might you be short stuff?" She said bending and looking Ed in the eye and he sat on the bench. Ed's eye started twitching again, and he had not been obliged to get along with her, he would have given Miss Heyman a piece of his mind.

"Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist to you, and this is our train." Ed rose stiffly and boarded the train, leaving Al and Effie on the platform.

"Well, he's rather short tempered isn't he?" Effie mentioned as she and Al both got on the train.

"He just doesn't like being called short, don't worry about it Miss Heyman."

"Just call me Effie."

They found Ed in the second carriage staring out the window in annoyance. Effie sighed and skipped upto him.

"Sorry, I guess we got off on the wrong foot, I'm Effie Heyman, please, just call me Effie." Effie held out her hand, and Ed accepted deciding to at least try to get to know the person he had to work with.

Teh Queen: So, chapter numero uno is done with if you don't like it, screw you all! Mwahaha!

Teh Slave: Malicious queen...

Teh Queen: Let them R&R first


	2. Chapter 2 Mission Start

GRAMMERS NOTE: no speel check :P

Teh Queen: Well, iza a second chapter, I know a screwed up, they were after Scar, and going to an Inshbalan refuge camp, not Ishbal itself, but I don't care XD.

Teh Slave: Is this boredom induced?

Teh Queen: You know it, although things are starting to get on a roll, I'm trying to put thought into this.

Teh Slave: You and thought don't work well together.

After many hours on the train, they arrived in Thine. Effie trotted off the train, being happy to be in the open air, Ed drowsily followed and Al was carrying both their suitcases.

"Why do I have to be the gentleman?" Al mumbled lifting the luggage up the station steps.

"Because I'm tired." Although he hadn't really been in a good mood since the colonel gave him this mission, he had to say getting to know Effie made him feel a little better, he found out she had been in the military for 4 years, and recognized Ed from when she was involved in the Barry the Chopper case.

"Isn't this a nice little town?" Effie said, very energetic for someone who had spent their day on a train and now had to find the military base.

"Kind of reminds you of home doesn't it brother?" Al wondered gazing over the green hills and sparsely placed houses.

"Maybe, but too bad it's not." Ed yawned as they walked towards what looked like a giant hall, but was in fact the small military base.

"Where are you guys from?" Effie asked, whipping around, he brown hair following her like a sheet of silk. Ed smiled to himself, he had only known her for a few hours, yet he already recognized this look as one she had when she asked a question she was genuinely interested in.

They seemed to walk slower as Ed and Al told her stories from when they were kids, and about Resembool, they were also surprised that she knew quite a few things about them too. Like about their attempts to bring their mother back to life.

"Oh come on, you can't blame a girl for wanting to know who she's going on a mission with, especially if she's from investigations and can get this sort of information." She smiled, turning to the lady at the front desk of the base.

Ed narrowed his eyes at the back of her head, and began to ask Al about her once she had gone out to ask some of the towns people what they knew of an uprising.

"I dunno, something seems strange Al, she doesn't seem interesting in much more than our past, like how she was wondering about mum on the train, and how she knows so much already." Ed asked, deciding he should actually take a look at the files Mustang gave him.

"I think you're being too suspicious of her, she's just another part of the military, I think she's very nice." Al replied. Ed just grunted and kept looking at the reasons for Central thinking something shifty was going on here. Only one particular suspicious material caught his eye.

"Al, look at this phone conversation. What do those 'code names' look like to you?" Ed handed Al a piece of paper with a brief conversation printed on it:  
-START CALL 2230-

#1 : Any news on the kid?

#2 : Envy, you know not to use these lines, Lust should have old you that.

#1 : It's not like I could be bothered to come all the way over there small fry, that town is so puny.  
#2 : Just hurry up and say what you want, and call me by my name next time  
#1 : Fine, look, you have to hurry this up, we need the defiance to get what we want, and you are the only one who can do it, you got it? So use the kid as a medium and the town is ours.  
#2 : I guess so, alright, I'll try and plan this out.  
#1 : Counting on you Deceit.  
-END CALL 2233-

"Strange." Was all Al felt he could say until being sure of what was on Ed's mind.  
"What's even more curious are the names, Envy and Deceit. Who else other than the humunculous would have them and coincidentally be planning something like this?" Ed muttered, reading over the sheet again. "But what they would get from an uprising in a small town like this, I don't know. From the sound of the call, the one they call 'Deceit' is in the town, we'll have to ask Effie when she gets back if she's noted any strange behavior, other than her own." Ed started looking out the window, from their room they could see a lot of the small farm fields.

"But we know Envy is the one that can change form, and could be posing as someone from the town." Al pointed out.  
"It's all bundled into suspicious, we both have to keep an eye out too, although our job is to merely prevent it. Couldn't be stuffed to care much more tonight, it's getting late, let's care in the morning." Ed proclaimed.  
"Should we check is Effie is back yet?" Al said in consideration.  
"She'll be fine, besides, the longer she's out, the more investigating she's getting done." And with that, there was no more talk until morning.  
Fog set in as the early hours of the morning started. Had they been awake, Ed and Al would have seen a figure balanced on their window sill. The figure pulled a thin dagger from their black belt and slipped it between the windows, opening the latch and letting it fall open before climbing and and balancing with ease on Ed's bed head, looking down at him sleeping. The person placed a single finger on his forehead and waited a few seconds until Ed looked to be rousing and darted out the window, leaving it open just as Ed sprang awake, breathing heavily and rubbing his head.

Teh Queen: Well, if you want anything to make sense you'll have to keep reading neh?

Teh Slave: I highly suggest against it, I'm afraid I can't see this 'thought' you were talking about/

Teh Queen: Let's see what the reviews say. Please review! I Don't care what it says, just do it!


	3. Chapter 3 Clues and Suspision

GRAMMERS NOTE, NO SPEEL CHECK!

Teh Queen: I've had this chapter sitting on my computer for a while now, and have decided to submit it, after I have forgotten what it's about! skim reads

Teh Slave: Then this authors note is pretty useless then.

Teh Queen: No no no, After skim reading, I have remembered that this chapter... is a little boring ;

What was that? Was it a dream? Ed lent over and looked out the window that must have fallen open and looked out over the town. He sighed and fell back to his pillow. He wasn't one to get such life like nightmares. He was just thankful the town wasn't being turned into plains of bloodshed.

Ed angrily closed the window, he was awake and agitated by that dream now, especially seeing as how once face kept popping up, of a young man that he didn't know. He silently got dressed, deciding a walk might clear his head, and he once again started to think about the strange phone call he had read.

"Hello?" Ed said softly as he he came down the stairs, hearing a rustle and seeing the soft glow of a lamp coming from the small library that branched off from the base of the stairs.  
Ed poked his head around the corner to see a person slumped across one of the desks, atop a pile of papers under the glow of the green lamp.  
"Effie." Ed sighed walking over and tapping the side of her head until she awoke.  
"Oh god! Ed, don't do that!" She hissed through clenched teeth.  
"Working late?" Ed asked, nodding to the papers she was sleeping on.  
"Only because I found some people who seemed to be out of the ordinary in town, and I was looking up some background information on them." Effie muttered thrusting a hand full of papers at Ed before making herself comfortable once again on the desk.  
Ed flicked through the papers, there were three people, a woman by the name of 'Liza Shefeled' who's photo was not on file, a man who to Ed, looked familiar for some reason by the name of 'Tony Geralds' and the third.  
"Effie, isn't this you?" Ed wondered kicking Effie awake again and reading her file.  
"Well, I decided to see what they had on while while I was here, after all, I was born here." Effie mumbled, resting her chin in her hand.  
This was news to Ed. According to the file, she was born and raised there until she was 11 at which The family moved to central, no other information was given except the date Effie became a part of the military.  
"And these other people, you met them while you were wandering town tonight?" Ed said reading more on the two people.  
"Yep, the woman was heading towards the bushland to the north of town, covering her tracks very carefully, and it's even stranger that there is not much information on her since according to that file she was born here and that man I was at a local pub sitting the corner looking at what looked like detailed plans of the town, but he hastely rolled them up once he saw me looking in his direction." Effie seemed to have practiced this, either that or it was all just tumbling out of her mouth in a daze.  
"How did you get their names?"  
"I followed the woman from her house, and I went back and asked her neighbors, nice people they were, and the man, I asked the barman about, who told me, said he was a regular recently and he always sat at that table and did 'work' so yes, they seemed like the most suspicious of a casual lot." Effie pulled a bread stick from her front pocket and started to much on it. Ed raised his eyebrows. "I got it from the pub." She Muttered.  
"I wasn't raising my eyebrows at you, I was at this mans file, Tony Geralds, says he was once a part of the military for a short time, only leaving recently. But it doesn't say why he stopped service." Ed thought aloud.  
"I only know as much as you do."

Ed re-read both of the peoples files, but other than the fact Tony Geralds had served in the military, the only useful lead was the fact there was such little information on them, and it made them suspicious. Not to mention the fact of possible involvement of the homunculi regarding the phone conversation he and Al had read earlier.

"I don't think I can make much sense of this until we track these people tomorrow." Ed said, stifling a yawn and pulling up a chair to the desk, his tiredness catching up with him again now the nightmare seemed so far away. "Were there any specific names connected to these people? Any organizations?" Ed mumbled, fiddling with the paper clips that held the files together. He got no response. He looked next to him and smiled to see Effie asleep again with half a bread stick hanging out her mouth.  
Trying to pursue some research himself, he checked some of the police records to see if their names were mentioned at all for minor or major crimes alike, and despite the fact he was tired now, he ignored it, and it was no surprise when he found himself being woken a few hours later by Al just after the sun had risen.  
Waking Effie proved to be a more testing task, but eventually she sat up, pealing a sheet of paper off the side of her face and wasting no time in pointing out that Ed had a copy of police file no#10048 printed on his check.  
"Well, it's your fault for making me stay up so late."

Teh Queen: oooooo, what could all this MEAN 0o

Teh Slave: Not that dramatic...

Teh Queen: TT... Read and review or no explanation shall be posted!

Teh Slave: You're mean.


	4. Chapter 4 Odd Fellows

Grammers Note:

Teh Queen: Yup, you'll have to excuse my lack of updates. Been busy.

Teh Slave: Your way of saying you've been lazy?

Teh Queen: Oh come off it, I have been busy... and a little lazy, so please excuse me if more or less everything isn't up to par. I'll try harder once I get all these other commitments out of my face.

Ed had decided for them that they were first going to the address indicated in the files to see this Tony Geralds.  
"This is one of the people you think could be behind an uprising?" Al asked, this being the first he had heard of the two suspicious people.  
"He certainly didn't like the look of this uniform," Effie plucked at the blue fabric of her military uniform, which after being slept in, wasn't as neatly pressed, "So whatever he was looking at last night, he didn't want the military to know, so it is of course a possibility." She finished with a shrug.  
"We'll just see how he likes the look of us knocking on his door." Ed yawned loudly again as they started to walk up the street their destination was.  
It was a long road, and seemed to lead away from the town, and it wasn't long until Effie was complaining.  
"I've only seen two houses so far and it seems like we've been walking for hours, and before you'll know it we'll have to go back again."  
"Oh be quiet, and to think this guy didn't like the look of you, you've given up before we've begun! Besides, this looks like it might be it up ahead." Ed muttered in reply. The only way to stop himself from complaining was to jump onto others about theirs. But Tony Geralds's house was indeed coming closer with each step.  
It was small and single story, positioned on the edge of a hill with stairs leading up to the front door. Al walked up the stairs first with Effie and Ed behind him, dragging their feet, but they were silent after the doorbell was rung to listen for all or any footsteps from inside, and because they didn't hear any, it was almost a shock when the young man from the file photo opened the door, but seemed rather dreary. Suddenly Effie started sounding rather professional.  
"Mr Tony Geralds, in response to a call about a possible uprising against the military in this town we have come to request if we can ask you a few questions about events of the past few weeks." Effie said calmly to the straw haired man in the door way, who blinked at her a few times before nodding and indicating them to come inside.  
"You're name is Miss Heyman isn't it?" He asked, gesturing them to sit on a series of large brown chairs situated in his artificially lit lounge room.  
"Well, yes, how did you know?" Effie spoke the words that were also Ed and Al's thoughts.  
"Seeing as you found my address, I am guessing you got it from a file up at the base, which would mean you also know I once did short service in the military and once had access to the files up there just as you have now, that's how I know you, I don't forget a face." He said in quite a monotoned way. He seemed very reserved, and not used to guests. The blinds emitted a small cloud of dust as he pulled them up, shielding his eyes from real light.  
"Why did you leave the military Tony?" Ed asked fearlessly, not caring for the formalities of using the man's last name.  
"I resigned, I heard also of a possible uprising here, and I saw no reason for it, but my job was holding me back, I wanted to prevent it to, so I quit. Conducting private investigations is just my thing I guess." His voice droned on again.

"But if you quit, why did you react how you did to seeing Effie last night?"  
"Because you thought I might have been one of the military personnel stationed here and I had come after you for one reason or another because of your seeming reasonless resignation, is that right?" Al asked, and Effie answered formally, either to show off the abilities that got her into the investigations, or to prevent Tony from droning on again, but either way, her answer received a nod from Tony.  
"So he's not as suspicious as we thought," Ed sighed leaning back into his chair, "So I'm guessing what Effie saw you looking at last night was just notes and plans of your personal investigation?" He continued, warranting another nod from Tony.  
"May we see them?" Tony was a bit hesitant of Effie's question at first, but eventually raised to his feet and shuffled from the room to fetch the notes.  
"Odd fellow." Ed said under his breath, picking fluff off the arm chair.  
"But he lives here, so he probably knows a lot we don't" Al replied, trying to make the strange young man sound more of a use.  
Tony returned with a rolled up poster and a ream of papers held together with a bulldog clip and placed them on the coffee table in front of Effie.  
The poster unrolled to be a map of the town. Thine seemed to branch out much further than one would have originally anticipated. The map had been marked with many different symbols and letters in a thick black marker.  
"People here trust others that live in the town, especially if they aren't in the military, so I've been spending days asking questions, watching people, and marking scenes of strange activity and home or hangouts of suspicious people. As far as I know, there have been some anti-military activists meeting somewhere in the forest." Tony pointed to the forest on the edge of town. Effie placed her finger on a house that had been outlined.  
"Liza, Liza Shefeled lived there."

Teh Queen: omfg this fic has short chapters T.T Sorry bout that.

Teh Slave: Don't forget to remind them that the wait until any new chapters is gunna be long.

Teh Queen: Oh yes... I'm sorry, but it's true, never had such a busy holidays in my life!! Sorry again, but thank you sooooo much, the people who actually read this!


End file.
